Hi Jimbo. I compared my records as well and I reckon we are about 3-4 weeks behind last year.
Hi Gavin, I have checked my colonies recently when we had a few days of warm weather in the West side of Scotland. I lost 1 colony, although the hive next door to it had a huge amount of bees compared to my other colonies. It had 6 frames of brood and I placed a super on top to give them a bit more room. I suspect the queen had died and the bees moved in next door although I have never experienced this before. My other 6 colonies all have about 2 frames of brood with 2 of the 6 with only small patches which I put on some weak syrup to give them a kick start. I checked my records from previous years and have come to the conclussion we are having a slow build up this year compared to previous years. Lets hope the temperature and weather starts to improve. After discussion with other beekeepers in my area they are experiencing the same so we will have to wait and see if the bees build up quickly. Jimbo
Hi Gavin: That's very disappointing. There seem to be a lot of reports of colony dwindle this spring and from the sound of things they have picked up varroa from another failed colony. I would move each of them into as small and well insulated a nuc as possible. If some of the brood area is on shallows they can draw comb below it if they want to. I moved one on two frames into a polystyrene insulated five frame nuc with 3 dummy frames and it has done much better since the move. The brood area increased, presumably because the space was easier to heat. What are your options for the varroa? Are the mites Apistan resistant in your area? A shook swarm would probably be too drastic with a small colony.
Today, I too came across a very weak colony with my friend. It had a late 2009 queen and she was a drone layer, just three frames of bees and a small patch of drone brood. This hive was also doomed but rather than let it die out we killed the queen and decided to unite it with it's neighbour. I would normally use the newspaper method but due to the time of year and it still being quite cold we decided to shake the bees into their new home. First we removed the crown board of the queenright hive and sprinkled sugar syrup over the bees on the frame tops. We then shook the doomed bees into their new home followed by some more syrup. It worked well with next to no fighting and by the time we had finished at my apiary this boosted hive had settled down. I know the bees are old but I am hoping any extra warmth will be put to good use.
Mine too were good-tempered and didn't need any smoke, but these Buckfasts always were mild mannered. They are out a lot, but presumably they are just getting water to dissolve the rape honey which they are living off. I'll gather together some dustbin bags and acetic acid and kitchen sponges to sterilise empty comb in the dead-outs, and maybe that will encourage me to throw these ones out of house and home. I may give them a week or so just in case there is a queen sulking in there until spring really arrives. Unlikely, I know.
You could encourage them to jump ship by removing their hive and shaking them out in front of the one beside it. Are they foraging at all? The queenless nuc I had had very listless bees which were not bothering to bring in pollen. All they did was hang around the entrance and take the odd cleansing flight. The surprising thing is that they were even tempered even without a queen.
About three feet to the strongest dark colony with the heather aroma. The queenless ones (Buckfast) are already scattered through other colonies, especially the one two colonies along which I suspect smells similar from thymol-laced winter feed. The bees must be old bees by now, so I think that I'll just leave them to die out or jump ship.
Is your queenless colony near enough to another to unite them?
Excellent, thanks LP! Just minutes after my post and I probably have the answer. Certainly there were no signs of mouse activity in the hives since I last straightened out the blocks.
Blue tits feeding from your hives moves the entrance blocks/ take it out wrap some dead grass round one end and jam back in
Yep - you get what you pays for. So it is not just me - good. Ratchet next time I empty my piggy bank I think. Yesterday I hefted my hive and because I have changed the stand they are on, I nearly tipped the whole lot over forwards. Very nasty moment!
Originally Posted by POPZ Just been exploring 'blog' for the first time and came across your wonderful apiary site - fantoosh area. Lucky ladies! I see you are using the same straps I have. The only difference being is that you know how to use them whereas I cannot fathom them and get them really tight. Must be an E.coast trick?? Oh, it took me years to learn how to work these straps! They still make me nervous the first time I tackle them each year. I think that I prefer the ratchet ones rather than the cheapo flip 'em over types.
Just been exploring 'blog' for the first time and came across your wonderful apiary site - fantoosh area. Lucky ladies! I see you are using the same straps I have. The only difference being is that you know how to use them whereas I cannot fathom them and get them really tight. Must be an E.coast trick??
When my bees were at home (within flying distance of the woods) they did occasionally bring home patches of dark mid- to late-summer honey in a few frames which I thought was honeydew. Never enough to spin out. I haven't had any since the bees moved to this site two years ago. Generally honeydew honey is infrequent in Scotland, but then I'm not sure how many folk deliberately place bees in the forests. Is it spruce that gives you honeydew honey? BTW, aphids, greenfly, blackfly ... I think the term plant lice has fallen out of favour.
Do you get wood honey from lice?
And in the other direction there are woods and more open areas with carpets of snowdrops and also aconites, and between the two ... over the wall ... the most incredible piece of history with lovely and fascinating people, but I can't say any more as I don't want to reveal all about where these bees are!
Looks like bee heaven!
Hi Calum Yes, the squiggly line was my doing, to try to minimise drifting. Doesn't work for the Monkish bees as they do it anyway. Maybe they picked on that colony as it also had been given thymolated syrup in the autumn, whereas the intervening colony wintered on heather honey (and still smells delightful when you lift the lid). The grass in the orchard is under the control of the owner, and she brings in sheep for a few months each summer. They caused chaos the first time they were brought it, pushing hives around and almost off their stands. Last summer it was very wet and the grass grew luxuriantly before the sheep were brought it. G.
I have a couple of colonies which have a lot of yellow banded bees but most of mine are black. I accidentally introduced some yellowish bees three years ago when I requeened a colony with a nuc I was given. Most of mine look like this. It's not spring pollen as the photo is from summer a couple of years ago.
Hi! I noticed that not all the hives are pointing the same way, is there any reason for that? If you can keep the long grass short you will get a much better clover crop.. ttfn Calum
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